Real Worship

Bruce Chesser is pastor of First Baptist in Hendersonville, TN. He formerly served in Little Rock at Geyer Springs. This is from his morning email today.

Sometimes we talk about going to a 'worship service' but, in truth, what we did was neither worship nor service. Just attending an event in a building called a 'worship center' on a Sunday morning does not make it worship. Worship is not something we attend. Worship is something we do.

Psalm 24 is a great passage that gives us a picture of real worship. It reminds us of the reason for our worship. It is because He is the maker of all that is. Everything belongs to Him. He laid its foundation and established the rivers. The psalmist reminds us of the requirement of worship. We must be willing to come clean with God. He asks the question 'who may stand in His holy place?' He answers by saying he who has clean hands and a pure heart. We must be clean in what we do and we must be clean in who we are. He also tells us what will happen when we worship the Lord, theresult of our worship. When we worship Him we will receive His blessings on our lives. He makes it very clear. 'He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation....'

Here is a word from the Word: (Psalm 24)

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory.

Hope to see you Sunday ready to worship!